Box.



ho. 68!,322. Patented Aug. 27, mm. F. H. HUUGHLAND.

BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

* Jlifidilllli..-

3n uzntoz 19, and 21.

UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK II. IIOUGIILAND, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX.

srncrrrcamon forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,322, datedAugust 27, 1901.

Application filed December 15, 1900. Serial No. 89,916. (No model'.)

To all whom it "my concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. IIOUGIILAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boxes, (Case A,) of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to paper boxes or cartons of that class which are designed to fold flat for ease of shipment and which can be very easily formed into box shape when it is necessary to use them and the object of my present invention is to form a box of this character which can be made very inexpensively and which can be sealed so as to be germ-proof or can be folded into shape and locked into that shape without the necessity of sealing by gluing or otherwise.

With thisobject in view my invention consists in a box or carton of the peculiar con-- struction and arrangement of parts hereinaftc'r described in detail and then set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank out of which the body of the box is made. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the body partly folded. Fig. 3 is'a side elevation showing the locking-sheet partly inserted, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the lockingsheet.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals, 1 represents the blank, which is made out of a simple rectangular sheet of paper, cardboard, or desired material, preferably without any cuts therein. This blank is creased or scored entirely across its top and bottom,.as shown at 2 and 3, and at four places at right angles thereto, as shown at 4, 5, 6, and 7, thus forming the sides of the box 8, 9, 10, and 11 and the pasting or gluing strip or flap 12. These creases also mark out the parts composing the top and bottom of the box, which are marked 14, 15, 16, and 17 and 18, 19, 20, and 21. Before the blank is pasted the top and bottomparts 15 and 17 and 19'and 21 are further creased at 15, 17, The blank is now pasted and the part 12 secured to the inside of the part 8. The box as thus glued is all ready to be shipped, and unless it is desired to form a germ-proof box or carton this one gluing is all that is necessary, as will hereinafter appear.

VVhenit is desired to set up the box ready for use, .it is opened into square form, as shown in Fig. 2, and the top and bottom folded as follows: The parts.19 and 21 are folded inwardly on their creases 19 and 21, a form or mandrel being first inserted in the box, if desired. One side of a locking-sheet 22 (see Fig. 4) is now'inserted in the pocket formed between the part 18 and the folds of parts 19 and 21. The other end of the locking-sheet is then placed in the opposite pocket, when the parts are in a similar position to that shown in Fig. 2. The hand of the operator is 'now pressed on the locking-sheet and the parts 18 and 20 and all are pressed into position. If it is desired to make this end of the box absolutely rigid or to make it germ-proof, either the locking-sheet or the insides of the pockets maybe covered with any suitable adhesive material. If a form or mandrel has been used, it is now withdrawn, the box filled, and the top closed in a manner similar to that just described.

If it is desired to ship food compounds or similar articles, it is preferable to paste each locking-strip in place; but if such articles as lamp-chimneys ares'hipped the pasting may be dispensed with, in which case the box is preferably made the proper leugthto contain the article, and the friction of the lockingsheet will keep the ends from being opened 'by accident and "the article in the box will prevent the ends from being accidentally pushed in.

From an inspection of the accompanying drawings it will beseen that Ihave invented an exceedingly simple and cheap box or carton, one which can be used without pasting the ends,if desired, and which by pasting becomes absolutely germ-proof. It will be observed that by using a separatelocking-sheet which is not formed in one piece with the body of the box the advantage is attained of making it possible to use a blank consisting of a simple rectangular sheet of paper or pasteboard without any cuts therein, and there is therefore no waste, inasmuch as nothing is cut away from the blank and thrown away. It will also be noticed that the ends have several -fo1ds r or thicknesses of material which act when not glued as a cushion to prevent breakage in shipping when a number of these boxes are packed end to end. The square lockingpieces also protect the ends, making them rigid and strong and thoroughly bracing them. It will also be noticed that there is no place for the box to rip at the corners, as there is no starting place or corner to begin ripping.

I do not intend to limit my claims to a box in which the locking-sheet is pasted within the opposing pockets; as it will be seen by the mere act of crowding the two ends of the sheet into the box the box is closed.

WVhat I claim as new isp 1. A blank box having at its ends foldable parts adapted to form opposing pockets, and a looking-sheet adapted to be inserted into said pockets by bending the same and forcing said sheet down upon the box end and thereby closing the box, substantially as described.

locking-sheet down upon the box end and thereby closing the box, substantially as described.

A blank box having at its ends foldable parts adapted to form opposing pockets, and a plain-faced locking-sheet adapted to be inserted in both of said pockets and to close the box by the mere act of such insertion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of December, 1000.

FRANK II. IIOUGlILAND.

Witnesses:

A. SELEes'roN, ScIILoss. 

